What Types of Content Are Published in the American University Law Review?

Updated

The American University Law Review publishes four main types of content: Articles by legal scholars and practitioners, Comments written by law students, Forum pieces for shorter and more timely legal analysis, and symposium-related content tied to its annual events. Everything is organized by volume and issue, and recent examples are listed directly on the homepage.

Articles

Articles are the journal's core scholarly output, typically authored by professors, judges, and practicing attorneys. They are substantial pieces of legal analysis, often spanning dozens of pages and engaging deeply with doctrine, theory, or policy.

Recent examples from the site include:

Title Author(s) Volume/Issue
It's (not all) Personal: Civil Litigation and the Values of Rights of Action Hanoch Dagan, Avihay Dorfman & Issi Rosen-Zvi Vol. 75, Issue 6
The Leasehold World Jeffrey Manns Vol. 75, Issue 6
Lawbreaking as a Method of Competition Sandeep Vaheesan Vol. 75, Issue 6
The Lawyer of the Future: Ethics and Identity in the Age of AI David Yosifon, Michael Santoro & Isaac Nikssarian Vol. 75, Issue 6
Federal Hiring Dysfunction and the Self-Shrinking Skew Lindsey Barrett Vol. 75, Issue 5

Comments

Comments are student-written pieces, usually authored by members of the Law Review's editorial board or staff. They tend to be narrower in scope than Articles—often focused on a specific circuit split, statute, or doctrinal question—and are held to the same citation and editing standards.

A recent example:

  • Beyond Marriage: Challenging Marital Prerequisites in State Adoption Laws Through a Constitutional and Child-Centered Lens — Alisha Glass, Vol. 75, Issue 6

Forum

The American University Law Review Forum is a separate online component that publishes shorter, more time-sensitive legal analysis. Forum pieces respond to recent developments—new regulations, court decisions, or policy shifts—where the traditional print timeline would be too slow.

A recent example:

  • Backsliding on the 2025 Roadmap: Why the EPA's Rollbacks of PFAS Regulations Violate the Safe Drinking Water Act — Sophia Rappazzo, Vol. 75 Forum

Symposium Content

The Law Review hosts an Annual Symposium and an Annual Federal Circuit Symposium, bringing together judges, scholars, and practitioners for discussion of significant legal issues. The Federal Circuit Symposium focuses specifically on the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Symposium-related content—including panel discussions and the scholarship that grows out of them—is featured on the site.

The Law Review also hosts events such as a DEI in the Law Panel, reflecting its engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

How the Content Is Organized

All published material is grouped by volume and issue. The site currently shows content from Volume 75 (Issues 5 and 6), with individual entries listing the content type (Article, Comment, or Forum), title, author(s), and volume/issue. This structure makes it straightforward to browse a specific issue or track a particular volume over time.

What This Means for You

  • If you're researching a legal topic, start with Articles for depth and Comments for focused student analysis of narrower questions.
  • If you need timely commentary on a recent development, check the Forum section first.
  • If you're a law student interested in publishing, Comments are the student-authored track, typically written by Law Review members.
  • If you want to follow the journal's events, the Symposium pages and event announcements (like the DEI panel) are listed on the homepage.

The site also offers a Subscribe option for those who want ongoing access to new volumes and issues.